A CSS hard disk drive parks its slider on the disk surface near the inside diameter (ID) when not in operation. Doing this is economical, but engenders a number of problems, particularly with regards to the effects of temperature, humidity and air pressure as experienced within the CSS hard disk drive. Consequently, the discussion of the problem to be solved is found toward the beginning of the detailed description and the summary of the invention. Some terms should be mentioned here. Sliders in CSS hard disk drives tend to include at least one pad with diamond like carbon on their air bearing surface. Stiction refers herein to static friction and is encountered when the CSS hard disk drive starts rotating the disks, between the parked slider and the disk surface it is parked on. These pads act as the contact regions between the slider and the disk surface and are used to reduce stiction. Tipping refers herein to the slider losing it orientation to the disk surface and when parked, no longer contacting the disk surface only through the pads.
Some prior art hard disk drives include sliders using air bearing surfaces that provide fast take-off and late touchdown when starting and stopping a drive. One way to do this is to design for high flying pitch so take-off and touchdown occur at high pitch angles. Unfortunately, this approach often compromises other performance objectives, which may include stable flying and/or insensitivity to altitude or air pressure changes. Moreover, the prior art has focused on performance in dry air conditions, without accounting for the effects of humidity.
Methods and mechanisms are needed which can control the pitch angle upon take-off and touchdown to create fast take-off and/or late touchdown. What is further needed are methods and mechanisms which can estimate the humidity and air pressure and use these to optimize the control of take-off and/or touchdown.